NASCLA Exam Guide
How the NASCLA commercial building exam is set up, what it covers, and the building code rules worth knowing before exam day.
The NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial Building Construction is accepted by a number of state contractor boards. It is given by PSI. Your scores are kept in NASCLA's Examination Database. Check with your board that it accepts the exam.
Exam Format
According to the PSI candidate bulletin:
- 115 scored questions, plus 10 unscored pretest questions.
- Open book, with a 330-minute limit.
- The minimum passing score is 81, and the fee is $130.
- References include the IBC (2021 or 2024), 29 CFR 1926, the NASCLA Contractors Guide and ACI 318.
What the Exam Covers
The outline has twelve areas. The largest are Procurement and Contracting (31 items), General Requirements (25) and Site Construction (15). The rest cover concrete, masonry, metals, wood, thermal and moisture protection, doors and glazing, finishes, mechanical and plumbing, and electrical.
Code Rules Worth Knowing (IBC 2021)
- A concrete floor slab on ground must be at least 3 1/2 inches thick, over a 6-mil polyethylene vapor retarder lapped at least 6 inches (Section 1907.1).
- Glazing in a shower or tub enclosure is a hazardous location when its bottom edge is less than 60 inches above the standing surface (Section 2406.4.5).
- Untreated wood siding must clear the earth by at least 6 inches (Section 2304.12.1.5).
- Stucco weep screeds sit at least 4 inches above earth or 2 inches above paving (Section 2512.1.2).
Sources: PSI candidate bulletin, 2021 International Building Code.